In the scope of this transpersonal development map, it is essential to note that the spirituality may be perceived by an individual from the set of various perspectives (such as theology, sociology, nursing, psychology etc.) and within the frameworks of different theories. For instance, spirituality is described by theology as individuals’ belief in God, which, in turn, is expressed by one through the religious practices and beliefs: “Unfolding: The beauty of the rose may be hidden but is already present within the bud. Likewise, our transcendent beauty and potential are hidden within, and spiritual practices help us unfold and blossom.” (Wright, 2009)
Finally, in nursing the entire set of the above listed theoretical approaches is incorporated for quantitative examination of such aspects of spirituality as religiousness, self-faith, hope, spiritual well-being and health, self-transcendence, spiritual perspective, quality of life, spiritual coping and life purposes. Metaphor about uncovering depicts this trend: “Our true nature or Self is said to be covered or veiled from awareness, but spiritual disciplines dissolve these veils and restore awareness of our true identities” (Wright, 2009)
In accordance with the approach towards spirituality, offered by Maslow, one of the core components of the biological life of humans is their spirituality as the most essential humanity is composed by the spiritual life. It was claimed by the scholar that the spiritual or religious values of an individual should not be perceived as the exclusive property of a particular religion ort group of people and this aspect is critically important for the spiritual development of an individual - as neither of already existing cliché may define individual way of such development to the full extent. Two types of healthy human beings have been defined by Maslow, while referring to the two degrees of self-actualizing individuals - “merely” healthy people and “transcenders”. Transcenders are those individuals, who are meta-motivated and represent the higher probabilities of having the peak experiences (such as rapture, ecstasy, bliss, awe, the greatest joy, mystery etc.)
Maslow has not accepted the idea of limiting the holy experience to the particular timeframe – such as one day per week, which, in turn, may be characterized as miraculous in the entire set of the corresponding contexts. The core argumentation for such approach was the following - the ordinary things and aspects of human life are full of sacred, which, in turn, may be found in background of each particular individual. It means that in the case when individual looks for miracles, one automatically show his or her ignorance of the fact that everything human life is miraculous (Fernando, 2015).
The major restriction for the progressive spiritual development of an individual is confining the holy to one day per week because in such case individual may feel free from the need of religious experience at other times. In addition, it was indicated by Maslow that the entire set of currently existing religions comes from the human experiences, while the distinctive features of such religions are shaped by the differences in locale and time and thus, these differences should not be perceived as essential in their impact on human’s spirit – as the peak experiences do not occur within the context of organized religion. This statement may be supported by the following metaphor, pertaining to freedom “We are said to be enslaved by our wayward motives and notions, but taming them brings freedom” (Wright, 2009).
References
Fernando, M. (2015) Abraham Maslow and Spirituality. Retrieved from: http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/people/nilakant/spirit/abraham_maslow_and_spirituality.htm
Koopsen, C. and Young, C. (2009) Integrative Health: A Holistic Approach for Health Professionals. Jones & Bartlett Learning
Wright, W.M. (2009) The Essential Spirituality Handbook. Liguori Publications
